As I stated in my veto message to an almost identical bill — SB 168 of 2011 — “per signature payment is often the most cost-effective method for collecting the hundreds of thousands of signatures needed to qualify a ballot measure. Eliminating this option will drive up the cost of circulating ballot measures, thereby further favoring the wealthiest interests.”

While I understand the potential abuses of the current per-signature payment system, my perspective has not changed since 2011.